


Rough Seas

by Jena Bartley (jenab)



Category: Alias (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-10
Updated: 2014-07-10
Packaged: 2018-02-05 15:34:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1823497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenab/pseuds/Jena%20Bartley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It hadn’t always been this strained between Arvin and Jack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rough Seas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Yahtzee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yahtzee/gifts).



The ship rolled violently beneath Sloane’s feet. He grabbed onto the slick railing as the high waves pounded against the freighter. The crew moved easily around him, use to years of sailing the rough waters of the North Sea, as they tied up the small fishing boat. Arvin shielded his face against the rain, watching as a dark figure transferred from the boat to the freighter.

The man quickly made his way up the ladder to where Sloane was standing, lurching a little as the deck dropped beneath him. For once the sight of the backpack on the courier’s back failed to excite Sloane. Instead, Sloane felt an odd sort of melancholy fill him. He suppressed it, gesturing for the courier to follow him down into the dry hold and into his cabin.

Inside the cabin, the backpack was opened and a series of old, fragile letters addressed to Milo Rambaldi were carefully displayed for Sloane to examine. The letters were creased and worn with age, and years of handling but very much real.

Sloane quickly wired the money into the courier’s account and had one of the crew escort him off the ship. He should be jubilant at finding more of the lost letters of Rambaldi’s followers, yet he felt empty at the sight of them. Instead, all he could see was the expression on Jack’s face before Sloane left several days ago. The flicker of hatred and dismay as Arvin confirmed that he’d recently recruited Jack’s daughter into SD-6.

It hadn’t always been this strained between them. Not in the early years of their working together -- first in Vietnam, then where ever the CIA sent them. They had been close for a long time. Even when he’d married Emily, Arvin had still been close to Jack. But that was before Laura came, before Jacqueline’s death. Before Sloane had discovered Rambaldi.

Outside, the rain had momentarily eased up, letting him to just make out the distant lights of Bremerhaven, Germany. Perhaps that had been what triggered this strange melancholy. The sight of Bremerhaven combined with the remembrance of the last time he’d been here.

The NSA’s listening post there had been cold, cramped, and gray, with barely enough space for the operators let alone two additional men. He and Jack had spent three days hiding there, while waiting for an extraction. Arvin could still remember the way Jack had struggled with the transition from Gunter Haas back to being Jack Bristow. Eighteen months spent undercover as he worked to turn an East German Colonel. That was one of the dangers of being under too long. An agent started to lose himself in his cover. Arvin had been sent in to bring Jack out and help him adjust.

He could still feel the rough, scratchy wool blankets beneath them. The look in his eyes slowly changing from the predatory gaze of Gunter Haas to Jack Bristow. Of how tense and wary Jack had been under Sloane’s hands and mouth. Or how Jack had finally relaxed into Arvin’s hands, body becoming pliant and open, trusting Arvin to take care of him.

Sloane missed that closeness, more importantly he missed Jack’s friendship and trust. There had to be a way to bring Jack back around, Sloane was sure about that. Once Jack saw how well Sydney took to being an agent and how well she did, he was sure Jack would finally start to trust that Sloane was still looking out for both Jack and Sydney. Then he and Jack could rebuild their friendship again.

Now I'm almost tempted to write more about Jack and Sloane's early adventures with the CIA.


End file.
